2008 Woodie Awards
Roller Derby Makes Return
Bryan Culver
Issue date: 9/21/06 Section: Features
Roller derby has returned and is better than ever. The rebellious sport of your parent's generation is making a glorious return, but this isn't your parents' derby. It has been revamped and injected with alternative youth. By blending sport with spectacle, the Kansas City Roller Warriors (KCRW) have created a fast paced romp that promises to please.
The sport is blazing fast and allows full contact checking. There is one girl for each team that is designated for scoring points. She achieves this by lapping the rest of the players who stay in a pack. This can become very much like trying to pass through a brick wall. The result is a flurry of speed and roller girls flying into the audience.
The spectacle not only comes from the action on the track, but also from the audience, athletes and staff as well. The crowd that attends these events ranges from young punks to business people to bikers in their 60's and everywhere in between.
You will often see fans with a T-shirt displaying their favorite player and wearing face paint. The Roller Girls all have T-shirts displaying their outrageous alter egos, with names such as, Snot Rocket, Snap Dragon, Stormy Trooper and Maiden Hell. The girls also have been known to pass out beads and other trinkets prior to a match.
The staff goes all out on spectacle. For instance, there is a penalty box guardian who dresses in a demon costume and is known as the Die Master. The Die Master is in control of rolling a huge dice that determines what halftime contest that the two most-penalized girls will compete in for an extra point.
There are also random costumes, such as announcers dressed as deputies, little girls dressed as whirling tornadoes or staff dressed like animals with giant heads. Altogether, it creates an atmosphere reminiscent of Mardi Gras.
The track is simply the floor of the rink outlined by tube lighting. The only barrier between the girls and the audience is a boundary tape that runs around the tube outline.
This adds the possibility of roller girls flying into you, which happens so often, spectators have to be ready to catch the players. Being so close to the action adds an element of involvement that can't be found in most sports.
The girls of KCRW are off season, training the new additions. They are based in northern Kansas City, Mo., and often play at the Winnwood Skating Center. Admission is about $10.
To find out more about KCRW or flat track derby, you may visit www.kcrollerwarriors.com.
The sport is blazing fast and allows full contact checking. There is one girl for each team that is designated for scoring points. She achieves this by lapping the rest of the players who stay in a pack. This can become very much like trying to pass through a brick wall. The result is a flurry of speed and roller girls flying into the audience.
The spectacle not only comes from the action on the track, but also from the audience, athletes and staff as well. The crowd that attends these events ranges from young punks to business people to bikers in their 60's and everywhere in between.
You will often see fans with a T-shirt displaying their favorite player and wearing face paint. The Roller Girls all have T-shirts displaying their outrageous alter egos, with names such as, Snot Rocket, Snap Dragon, Stormy Trooper and Maiden Hell. The girls also have been known to pass out beads and other trinkets prior to a match.
The staff goes all out on spectacle. For instance, there is a penalty box guardian who dresses in a demon costume and is known as the Die Master. The Die Master is in control of rolling a huge dice that determines what halftime contest that the two most-penalized girls will compete in for an extra point.
There are also random costumes, such as announcers dressed as deputies, little girls dressed as whirling tornadoes or staff dressed like animals with giant heads. Altogether, it creates an atmosphere reminiscent of Mardi Gras.
The track is simply the floor of the rink outlined by tube lighting. The only barrier between the girls and the audience is a boundary tape that runs around the tube outline.
This adds the possibility of roller girls flying into you, which happens so often, spectators have to be ready to catch the players. Being so close to the action adds an element of involvement that can't be found in most sports.
The girls of KCRW are off season, training the new additions. They are based in northern Kansas City, Mo., and often play at the Winnwood Skating Center. Admission is about $10.
To find out more about KCRW or flat track derby, you may visit www.kcrollerwarriors.com.
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